Monday, November 30, 2020

Review of "The Speed Game"

 This is the second memoir by a basketball coach that I read over the long Thanksgiving weekend and it lived up to what I hoped it would be - as entertaining and fast-paced as this coach's basketball philosophy.  Here is my review of Paul Westhead's memoir, "The Speed Game."

Title/Author:

“The Speed Game: My Fast Times in Basketball" by Paul Westhead

Tags:

Basketball, professional, college, memoir, Lakers, Loyola Marymount, Mercury

Publish date:

November 1, 2020

Length:

216 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

When basketball fans, players and journalists mention the name Paul Westhead, the immediate thought is fast paced, fast break basketball.  That was the type of game he would coach to his players, no matter who may have agreed or whatever the cost (namely his job) might eventually be.  This is the overall theme of his memoir which reads much like his basketball style – quick and entertaining.

The bulk of this book is dedicated to his time coaching the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the beginning and the end of his time as head coach of the Lakers was unusual.  He was an assistant coach under Jack McKinney when the latter suffered a near-fatal injury in a bicycle accident.  Westhead was given the job on an interim basis, with that tag being lifted when the Lakers won the NBA championship the following spring in 1980.  However, after a humiliating loss to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in 1981 plus a slow start to the next season, Westhead was fired when Magic Johnson made certain remarks to the press about Westhead's system.

As he continually states throughout the book, that didn't change his coaching philosophy as he still sold his fast break system to get coaching jobs.  He not only coached elsewhere in the NBA (Denver Nuggets) but also had several college coaching jobs, the most famous of these being at Loyola Marymount University in California.  Here, he brought in two transfer players, Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble (both Philadelphia natives like Westhead) who ran the system to near perfection.  They set many NCAA records that very likely won't be broken.  Their magical run ended tragically when Gathers collapsed and later died during a NCAA Tournament game due to a heart condition.

The last notable accomplishment for Westhead and his fast break system was when he coached the Phoenix Mercury, led by Diana Taurasi, to the WNBA championship.  By doing so, he is the only coach to win both an NBA and WNBA championship. Westhead doesn't devote much space in the book to this accomplishment, and compared to how much he wrote about the Lakers, the same could be said for his time at Loyola Marymount as that was only one chapter.  Nonetheless, the reader will gain great insight into Westhead's coaching philosophy and why he believes the fast break system is the best basketball system despite the skepticism of many and also his occasional lack of success with it, as evidenced by his poor record with the Nuggets.  If one was or is a fan of his style, then this book is one to read.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496222602/

https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Game-Fast-Times-Basketball/dp/1496222601/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=


Sunday, November 29, 2020

Review of "Signature Shoes:

One of the goals I set for this blog when I started it over seven years ago was to review books on as many different sports or topics involving sports as possible.  This is the first book I have reviewed that is strictly about shoes and the athletes who wear them and/or have their names attached to them. Here is my review of "Signature Shoes."


Title/Author:

“Signature Shoes: The Athletes Who Wore Them and Delightful Pop Culture Nuggets” by Ryan Trembath

Tags:

Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, history, shoes

Publish date:

November 28, 2020

Length:

154 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While most people have either heard of or owned a pair of Air Jordan’s, many may not know that that was far from the first shoe that was the signature shoe of a well-known athlete. That distinction went back a couple decades and the history of signature shoes for athletes is described in this interesting book by Ryan Trembath.

The practice of attaching an athlete’s name to a shoe began well before Nike did this for Michael Jordan.  It wasn’t an uncommon practice for tennis players (Stan Smith, Ille Natase and Billie Jean King, for example) or soccer players, especially the great Pele, to have signature shoes.  At that time, the two major shoe companies doing so were Adidas and Puma. Trembath gives the reader a brief but informative history of those two rivals and others who soon joined in the business such as Nike, Reebok and PONY.

By the 1990’s the market for such shoes became oversaturated and that is about where the history lesson in the book ends, but there is more to read than just shoes. There are also interesting facts about many of the athletes whose names were attached to the shoes as well as some pop culture tidbits tossed in at various points in the book.

At a quick 154 pages, this book is not an exhaustive history of shoes or sports, but does give the reader a very interesting and entertaining look at the industry of the signature shoe and is worth a look for any reader interested in this topic.

I wish to thank Mr. Trembath for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

http://www.eckhartzpress.com/shop/signature-shoes-the-athletes-who-wore-them-and-delightful-pop-culture

Saturday, November 28, 2020

Review of "Rapture"

One of the more surprising sports championships in recent years was when the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals.  Their coach, Nick Nurse, was in his first season of being an NBA head coach, but he certainly was not an inexperienced coach, as his memoir shows.  Here is my review of "Rapture."  


Title/Author:

“Rapture: Fifteen Teams, Four Countries, One NBA Championship and How to Find a Way to Win – Damn Near Anywhere” by Nick Nurse

Tags:

Basketball, professional, memoir, Raptors, championship, coaching

Publish date:

October 13, 2020

Length:

272 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good) 

Review:

Nick Nurse achieved a rare feat for a coach in any professional sport – he coached a team to a championship in his first season as a head coach in the league.  In his case, it was leading the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship in his first season as an NBA head coach.  How he got to that point and all the adventures he had on his way to Toronto is told in this fun-to-read memoir.

Nurse tells how many different countries and teams he has coached in the title and he has entertaining stories to tell about each one. Some of the better ones are about the team he coached in England where in order to keep his job and team together, he had to become the owner as well. He even coached Dennis Rodman for two games in that country.  

Unlike some other well-known teams and leagues in Europe and Asia, many teams in England live on a thread and can fold in a moment’s notice.  Despite all of this, Nurse shares his love for his time there and other countries as well. When he decided to return to the United States, he found employment in the NBA D-League (now called the G-League) with a new team called the Iowa Energy.

Not only was Nurse excited to coach in his home state, but with a new team, he was able to showcase some of his more innovative coaching ideas.  Most prominent among those is his emphasis on proper shooting technique in which he uses a specially marked ball he calls the Nurse Pill.  Between that and some innovative offensive plays, he enjoyed success in the D-League in both Iowa and later in the Rio Grande Valley.

When Nurse moved up to become an assistant coach in Toronto under Dwayne Casey and then head coach after Casey was fired after the 2018 playoffs, he took what he had learned coaching for all those teams and applied them to the Raptors.  What was especially interesting was his manner in which he communicated and related to his players.  He is quite in tune to the mindset of an NBA player and he displays that consistently during the chapters on his time with the Raptors.  These are the sections in the book that can most easily be used by readers in their day-to-day lives, no matter what their profession or work entails.  One doesn’t have to be a basketball coach or fan to not only enjoy this book but to also get some valuable advice.

I wish to thank Little, Brown and Company for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                 

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Fifteen-Countries-Championship-Anywhere/dp/031654017X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

Friday, November 27, 2020

Review of "A Golfer's Carol"

My wife recommended this book to me because it was an excellent story and was about golf.  Since she is not a golfer or a fan of the sport, I was intrigued since she said she really enjoyed the book.  After reading it, I can see why.  Although there is plenty of golf writing, the story is just so good that it comes recommended to anyone who enjoys stories like "A Christmas Carol", "Field of Dreams" or "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."  Here is my review of "A Golfer's Carol." 


Title/Author:

“The Golfer’s Carol” by Robert Bailey

Tags:

Golf, fiction

Publish date:

November 3, 2020

Length:

240 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

When circumstances make someone believe there is just no way to solve all their problems in any way aside from ending their life, there can be a miracle that will make that thought go away. That miracle occurred for a lawyer named Randy Clark in this excellent novel by Robert Bailey.

Randy, who was once an aspiring golfer, gave up that dream for a more stable family life with his wife Mary Alice, daughter Davis and son Graham.  When young Graham lost his battle with cancer and the medical bills began piling up while his marriage was crumbling, Randy felt that the only way to make sure the future of his family was secure was to take his own life.  Also having just lost his former golfing buddy Darby, Randy is in an emotional freefall.  However, Darby’s ghost appears before Randy can complete his suicide and what follows is a wonderful, heart-tugging story of lessons that should be heard by all, not just golfers.

The ghosts of golf legends Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer, with whom Randy shares words and golf shots, give the book a nice cross between “A Christmas Carol” and “Field of Dreams.”  The last round Randy plays with a ghost is one I won’t give away but there are more “Field of Dreams” connections with that round as well. 

Speaking of playing golf, the details for the game are wonderfully researched and written throughout the story.  Between the descriptions of the tee shots with a fade or a draw or the wonderful descriptions of courses like Augusta National or Shoals Creek, golf enthusiasts will enjoy reading about the game and three of the sport’s most legendary names. Because the novel is set in 1986, there is also prominent mention of Jack Nicklaus and his legendary comeback victory in that year’s Masters tourney.

The types of lessons learned by Randy during these rounds and the manner in which he learns them is also reminiscent of another best-selling author, Mitch Albom. The characters, whether spiritual like the legendary golfers and Darby, or real life like Randy, Mary Alice and Davis, are well-developed and the reader will take a liking to all of them.  If there is a downfall to the story, it is that the relationship between Mary Alice and Randy isn’t fully explained.  The death of a child can test the strength of a relationship and it is implied that happened with Graham’s death, but the reader will have to draw his or her own conclusions as to why it became as such.

While the writing about golf is filled with great detail and will make this story one that golfers will thoroughly enjoy, one does not have to be a golfer or a fan to love this story of what can happen when one works to get through trying times. 

Book Format Read:

E-book (library reading app)                                                                                                          

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Golfers-Carol-Robert-Bailey-ebook/dp/B085BSNHM2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=golfer%27s+carol&qid=1606492971&sr=8-1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-golfers-carol-robert-bailey/1136586836?ean=9780593190500


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Review of "24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid"

The old saying that patience is a virtue does pay off at times.  This was a book that I was not able to obtain as an advance copy and I had to wait for several months for a library version to become available - but it was worth the wait.  Here is my review of this excellent book on the "Say Hey Kid", Willie Mays. 



Title/Author:

“24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid" by Willie Mays and John Shea

Tags:

Baseball, history, Giants, Mets, Negro Leagues, professional

Publish date:

March 5, 2020

Length:

352 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

No matter how one looks at his career – traditional statistics, analytics and advanced statistics or for those who saw him, the eye test – Willie Mays is certainly one of the greatest baseball players of all time.  In this book co-authored with John Shea, Mays shares thoughts on a wide range of baseball topics with personal passages mingled in with Shea's writing during each chapter.

It's no coincidence that the book has 24 chapters to match the uniform number he wore for his two major league teams, the New York/San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. The title may lead a reader to believe that there isn't much baseball in the book and instead is advice and lessons – that is not the case at all.  Mays uses his baseball experiences to provide the lessons that he espouses at the end of each chapter.  It isn't just about his exploits on the field as many of the stories are told after his playing days ended and some of the better chapters are during this section of the book, such as how happy he was when the Giants won three World Series championships in five years during the 2010's.

One chapter that stood out for me in the latter parts of the book was the chapter they wrote about Barry Bonds.  Of course, being that Mays is the godfather of Barry and was very friendly with his father Bobby, one might expect this chapter to be less critical than many other writings have been of the polarizing Barry Bonds.  What I found particularly interesting is how he has done what he could for Barry out of respect for his friend.  When Bobby was near death, that was his request to Mays – to take care of Barry and Mays has kept that promise.

Since Mays played in the Negro Leagues before joining the Giants organization, there is a section on his time there and like many other writings about that league, it is filled with interesting stories and at the same time paints a disturbing picture of the racism faced by these players.  That continues into his time in the major leagues, but in typical Willie Mays fashion, he exudes class and grace when talking about this time.

The same can be said for any other time one might believe that Mays might be upset.  This would include the loss to the Yankees in the 1962 World Series and the suspension from baseball he and Mickey Mantle were given by Bowie Kuhn when the two of them were working for Bally's in Atlantic City.  Also, speaking of Mantle, he is included in another chapter that alone makes the book a must-read: the debate that took New York City by storm in the 1950's – who was the better center fielder, Willie, Mickey or the Duke (Snider).

Any reader, no matter their level of interest in baseball, who knows about Willie Mays, should pick up this book as it is wonderful collection of stories written in an unconventional style about a one-of-a-kind baseball legend.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/24-Life-Stories-Lessons-Say-ebook/dp/B07PDJF3XH/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Review of "Seven Days in Augusta"

While it felt very strange to watch the Masters in November, it was still an enjoyable experience, especially when Dustin Johnson put on a clinic for everyone to enjoy.  That led me to pick this book off the pile of ones to review since Georgia (Augusta) was on my mind.  Here is my review of "Seven Days in Augusta"



 Title/Author:

“Seven Days in Augusta: Behind the Scenes at the Masters” by Mark Cannizzaro

Tags:

Golf, professional, history, championship

Publish date:

March 10, 2020

Length:

256 pages 

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

No matter what level of golf fan or player one is, there is a good chance that person has heard of the Masters golf tournament.  Held in April every year (with the exception of 2020 when it was played in November) it is called “a tradition like no other” and very often it lives up to that billing.  This book by Mark Cannizzaro brings many of the characteristics of not only the tournament but also the city of Augusta, Georgia.

The title may lead one to think that the book is a guide throughout the week of the tourney and that is somewhat true.  Cannizzaro talks about many of the activities that take place before the actual tournament.  The chapter on the par 3 tourney on Wednesday is excellent as is the story of a fan who camps out every year on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning to make sure he gets a prime location – just behind the rope at the 18th green.  However, this doesn’t mean it follows a true chronological order of events throughout the week.  The closest this comes is the passages about the great triumphs (Phil Mickelson 2004, Tiger Woods 2019) and crushing collapses (Greg Norman 1996, Jordan Speith 2016) on Sunday. 

There is also excellent writing about the city and Washington Road’s bustle during the tourney and relative sleepiness the rest of the year as well as very good chapters on some landmarks unique to Augusta National such as the oak tree near the first tee and Butler Cabin where the winner is interviewed by Jim Nantz of CBS, the network that telecasts the tourney. Plenty of text on the actual golf played is present as well. The best of this is the 1997 tourney when Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm.  While all of these are reasons to enjoy the book, the overall organization of the book and the repetition of some points, such as Norman’s loss to Nick Faldo in 1996, tend to bog the book down.

Nonetheless, this book is one that anyone remotely interested in golf or the Masters should pick up for a quick and enjoyable read on the aforementioned “tradition like no other.”  If nothing else, these stories will live up to that billing.

I wish to thank Triumph Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Days-Augusta-Behind-Masters/dp/162937749X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr


Monday, November 16, 2020

Review of "So Many Ways to Lose"

While I usually don't review books this far in advance of publication, this book was one that I just couldn't wait to read.  So instead of digging deep into the TBR pile, I plucked this one off the top and I wasn't disappointed - it was so hard to put down.  Here is my review on this great book on the New York Mets, "So Many Ways to Lose." 


Title/Author:

“So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets – The Best Worst Team in Sports" by Devin Gordon

Tags:

Baseball, history, Mets, professional

Publish date:

March 2, 2021

Length:

352 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Those who follow baseball, whether or not they are fans of the New York Mets, know that the team has a very interesting history that has more downs than ups.  This book written by journalist Devin Gordon, who makes it known from the start that he is a die-hard Mets fan, is certainly one of the most entertaining books a baseball reader can read. 

This book will grab a reader right from the start, as the introduction has two very important pieces one must know before diving in.  One is mentioned above and that is Gordon's love of the Mets.  The second is his definition of the "best worst team" and why the Mets are the perfect embodiment of that definition.  Briefly, it means that when they lose, they will often do it in spectacular fashion. This goes well beyond games, standings or championships.  He also explains why other teams that may fit the description of "best worst team" such as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Vikings just don't do justice to that moniker – only the Mets will do.

That last sentence is written in a manner like much of this book is written – with plenty of humor and attitude that New York City is known to have.  That is the charm of this book, even if one is taken aback with that "attitude" in real life.  By writing in this style, Gordon gives authenticity to his claim about the Mets being that team.  He also will describe a particular event as being "Metsy" many times in the book.  This is another characteristic that makes this book so hard to put down.

As for what is covered in this book, it truly is a good source of the history of the team.  From its beginnings in the Polo Grounds, the historic bad records and Casey Stengel at the helm to the record breaking 2019 rookie season of Pete "Polar Bear" Alonso and just about everything in between, this book covers a lot of Mets territory.  Some of the more interesting parts of the book are the chapters on Joan Payson (someone that Gordon believes gets far too little credit for what she did to bring a National League team back to New York), "Bobby Bonilla Day", and Cleon Jones.  That last chapter on the treatment he received from the team will really leave a reader wondering how any team can treat a player like that.  Other good chapters include the "Midnight Massacre" when the Mets let Tom Seaver get away – twice, Mackey Sasser's yips and why Endy Chavez made "The Catch" instead of Willie Mays.  These are all written with knowledge, humor and attitude.

Any baseball reader, from the biggest Mets fan to the team's biggest detractors will enjoy reading this book as it will give fuel to both sides of the coin.  For those who aren't emotionally invested in the Mets, it's still a great book to get some perspective on the "best worst team in sports."

I wish to thank Harper Publications for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/So-Many-Ways-Lose-Mets_the/dp/0062940023/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Review of "He Crashed Me, So I Crashed Him Back"

While I have been following NASCAR for many years, this year marked a significant uptick in my NASCAR fandom.  With today being the finale of the 2020 season with the Championship 4 racing for the crown, it was only appropriate to review a NASCAR book.  This one about the 1979 season is a very good and entertaining read.  Here is my review of "He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back."



Title/Author:

“He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back” by Mark Bechtel

Tags:

Auto racing, NASCAR, professional, history

Publish date:

February 8, 2010

Length:

309 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

One of the most famous scenes from the Daytona 500, “The Great American Race”, came in 1979 when Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough were fighting when they were involved in a wreck on the last lap of the race.  While that type of scene was not that uncommon for stock car racing at the time, what made it memorable was that a then-record television audience saw this drama play out. Because of a massive blizzard that affected most of the eastern and Midwestern part of the country, many snowbound viewers tuned into the CBS broadcast of the race.  This moment is considered by many to be the introduction of NASCAR to most of the country and is the backbone of this book on the 1979 NASCAR season by Mark Bechtel.

As Bechtel notes throughout the book, calling this moment a turning point for the sport doesn’t fully explain the how NASCAR became a bigger part of the American sports conscious that year.  Yes, the Daytona 500 may have had that fight, but it was far from the only exciting race that year and the best of them are captured by Bechtel in a manner that one doesn’t think that he or she is just reading rehashed newspaper accounts of the races. 

This is mainly because of the excellent portrayal of the sport’s biggest names at the time.  The first chapter in the book on the Pettys – Richard, who was the king of the sport then and his son Kyle, who was a rookie that year- sets the tone for how the stars of NASCAR will be portrayed in the book.  No matter which star driver from that era one wishes to read about, chances are the reader will find information on that driver in this book.  This is also the case for many others in the sport, including owners, crew chiefs, crew members and even the founding father of NASCAR, Bill France.  The story of how he supposedly made the rain stop in time for the Daytona 500 is very good and even will make one chuckle at the comparison to France controlling weather as much as God.

Like other sports books about a particular year, the politics and social movements of the time are covered and contrasted with racing as well.  For NASCAR, this is particularly notable for 1979 as the country faced a gasoline shortage.  The sport did well to protect its public image despite this problem. The other big news that affected the sport greatly was the introduction of a 24 hour sports cable station called ESPN in 1979.  Trying to continue to expand its exposure, NASCAR began building a relationship with the fledgling network that continued for many years.

NASCAR fans will enjoy reading about this watershed season for the sport, whether they saw these drivers and races from that era or only know about them through grainy highlights and stories passed down over the generations. It’s a great look into the sport and how 1979 planted the seeds to see NASCAR grow into what it is today.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/He-Crashed-Him-Back-Earnhardt/dp/0316034029/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=   


Saturday, November 7, 2020

Review of "Macho Time"

Boxing is a sport I love to read about, as followers of this blog know, and one author whose work on the sweet science I truly love is Christian Guidice.  He has a new biography out on Hector "Macho" Camacho and it is just as good as his other works.  Here is my review. 

Title/Author:

“Macho Time: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of Hector Camacho” by Christian Guidice

Tags:

Boxing, professional, championship, biography

Publish date:

October 20, 2020

Length:

320 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Hector “Macho” Camacho was a boxer from the 1980’s and 1990’s who won over fans as much for his flash and his style as well as his fists.  He won titles in three different weight classes and had millions of fans, but he still had critics saying that he never reached his full potential. This was mainly due to his lifestyle outside the ring where drugs and partying at times took over his life.  His entire life, which ended tragically when he was shot in 2012, is captured in this great biography by Christian Guidice.

Guidce is a respected biographer of Latin American boxers, having previously authored well-received biographies of Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello and Wilfredo Gomez.  Just like the other three, Guidice leaves no area of Camacho’s life unturned. Interviews with many survivors of Camacho, including his mother, son, several trainers he had throughout his career and the mother of Hector Jr. help to portray a man filled with so much talent yet was very much a walking contradiction.

One of the best examples of this was an interview in the ring Camacho gave after a fight in which CBS announcer Tim Ryan was talking to Hector and Camacho was asking Ryan if he was his friend. Right there in the ring after a victory on live television, the “Macho Man” was showing a vulnerability that many did not know.  However, those who did know him felt that this was just one more time in many where Camacho would prove to be a very complicated individual.

Of course, Camacho’s boxing career is covered completely as well with some great passages of some of his more memorable fights, whether he won or lost.  Probably the best boxing passage in the entire book was when Camacho won a controversial split decision over Edwin Rosario. While he won that fight, many believed Camacho was never the same after that bout in which Rosario hurt him several times.  This came as a surprise to many who loved him and contrasted him to other great Latino boxers.  As Guidice writes, “Alexis Arguello had respect, Roberto Duran had cachet, Hector Camacho had presence.”  This “presence” was in the ring far longer than expected, however, when he later accepted big days against fighters who were also past their primes such as Sugar Ray Leonard.  It was a far cry from the fast and furious fighter that many Puerto Ricans came to love.

Boxing fans who remember Camacho’s career and his flair will want to pick up this book as well as those who enjoy a good biography of a famous fighter whose hard lifestyle helped bring an end to his life far too early.

I wish to thank Hamlicar Publications for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review                                                                           

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                             

Buying Links:

https://hamilcarpubs.com/books/macho-time-the-meteoric-rise-and-tragic-fall-of-hector-camacho/

https://www.amazon.com/Macho-Time-Meteoric-Tragic-Camacho/dp/1949590135/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=